A. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau was created to complement the existing state machinery to deal with the wildlife crime having ramifications beyond state and national borders. It is not intended to perform the normal and routine functions falling within the domain of the States / Union Territories, as crime including the implementation of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, is mandate of the State Governments.

Q. When was Wildlife Crime Control Bureau constituted?

A. It was constituted on 6th June 2007.

Q. How was the Bureau constituted?

A. The Bureau was constituted by amendment to the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. It has been envisaged as a multi - disciplinary statutory body that will have officials from forests, police, customs and other similar agencies. The constitution is specified in Section 38 (Y) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

Q. Where are the offices of the Bureau located?

A. The Headquarters of the Bureau is at New Delhi. The Bureau has its regional offices at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Jabalpur. It also has 3 sub-regional offices at Guwahati, Cochin and Amritsar and 5 Border Units at Gorakhpur, Motihari, Nathula, Moreh and Ramanathpuram.

Q. What are the powers and functions of the Bureau?

A. The powers and functions of the Bureau are specified under Section 38(Z) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, which are as under:

(i). Collect and collate intelligence related to organized wildlife crime activities and to disseminate the same to State and other enforcement agencies for immediate action so as to apprehend the criminals and to establish a centralized wildlife crime data bank;

(ii). Coordination of actions by various officers, State Governments and other authorities in connection with the enforcement of the provisions of this Act, either directly or through regional and border units set up by the Bureau;

(iii). Implementation of obligations under the various international Conventions and protocols that are in force at present or which may be ratified or acceded to in future;

(iv). Assistance to concerned authorities in foreign countries and concerned international organizations to facilitate coordination and universal action for wildlife crime control;

(v). Develop infrastructure and capacity building for scientific and professional investigation into wildlife crimes and assist State Governments to ensure success in prosecutions related to wildlife crimes;

(vi). Advice the Government of India on issues relating to wildlife crimes having national and international ramifications and suggest changes required in relevant policy and laws time to time.

The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau shall exercise —

(i). Such powers as may be delegated to it under sub-section (1) of section 5; sub - sections (1) and (8) of section 50 and section 55 of this Act; and

(ii). Such other powers as may be prescribed.

Q. What is the role of WCCB as an Intelligence agency?

A. The officers of the Bureau develop intelligence through their own source networks, from sister agencies and field visits. The intelligence so developed is disseminated to the enforcement agencies for requisite action.

Q. What is the role of WCCB as a coordinating agency?

A. WCCB is mandated to coordinate the actions by various officers, State Governments and other authorities in connection with the enforcement of the provisions of Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, either directly or through regional and border units set up by the Bureau. It thereforeconducts Inter - Agency Coordination meetings at regular intervals to:

1) Promote effective inter-departmental coordination to control poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products in the country as well at various exit points;

2) To promote sharing of information and enforcement of provisions of Wildlife (Protection) Act and to curb illegal trans-border trade; and

For inter - agency coordination at national level a Special Coordination Committee has been constituted under the Chairmanship of the Secretary, Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Q. How does WCCB conducts capacity building and public education programmers?

A. WCCB conducts capacity building and training programs for the officials of enforcement agencies through a two days training module developed in house by the WCCB to build the capacity of the officers of forest and police departments in professional investigation of wildlife crimes.

Sensitization programs are conducted for various stakeholders and leaders of the PRIs through one day workshops.

Services of experts in respective fields are taken as resource persons in such training and sensitization programmes.

Q. What are the means to provide information on wildlife crimes to WCCB?

A. On the website of the Bureau there is a section named “help us combat crime”. Anyone can send information available with him regarding wildlife crime through this site. Moreover, information could be provided to the officers of WCCB by any convenient mode of communication. Identity of the informer will be kept secret.

Expert knowledge on any issue related to wildlife crime could be shared through the “Share your Knowledge” section on the WCCB Website home page. The information so provided will be scrutinized by a panel and on its approval the shared inputs will be made public through “view yours shared knowledge” section.